RPI’s Swing Club hosted their End-of-the-Year Bash on Wednesday, April 22 in Academy Hall. It was three hours of fun-filled dancing consisting of blues, lindy hop, Charleston, and swing. Free pizza and soda were provided for everyone.
Students of all skill levels came to the event, and veteran dancers were very willing to teach those with less experience. The mood was relaxed, matching the social quality of swing. It was a nice change of pace from the typical Wednesday night studying. Many students came and left during the three hours, but about 30 people were present for the whole dance, some from as far away as Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The main event of the night was the Jack and Jill competition. Wesley Mounts ’12, incoming president of the RPI Ballroom Club, explained, “There are no assigned partners. The leaders and followers line up and are randomly assigned. It shows how well you can social-dance.”
The event was judged by RPI’s veteran swing dancers, who awarded prizes to the winners based on how they performed in a variety of dances. Five couples competed in the competition, while the rest of the dancers observed.
Partners were easy to come by, as there were many people waiting to be asked and hardly anyone was turned down for a dance, which is desired in a social dance setting.
Toward the end of the night, four women from RPI’s Swing Club treated the crowd to a well-rehearsed performance of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” It was an entertaining alternative to the swing dancing, which resumed shortly thereafter.
Of the event, Chris Smith ’10, president of the Swing Club, said, “It was a wonderful turnout and a great time.” This writer also had a great time and recommends this and future Swing Club events to all students with any level of dance experience.
